By “pushing” watercolor paint to its absolute limits, Christensen has invented a new way to paint with this traditional medium. Using non-standard watercolor paper and employing a dry-brush technique, Eric starts out with thin washes then builds meticulously to over 30 subsequent layers of paint. You can actually see the build-up of the paint layers when you look closely at his originals. Eric’s technique allows him to achieve much stronger colors and shadows than can be found with traditional watercolor art; his paintings actually appear more like an oil painting on canvas. Christensen achieves his lifelike hyper-realistic images through his genius for understanding the technical aspects of his subjects and his dedication to capturing an image as it truly exists. His love of natural materials particularly flowers, fruits and vegetables also combine to make this possible. He possesses the stunning ability to paint the subtleties of light traveling through a flower petal or its reflection off a wine glass. Composition is one more factor that sets Christensen’s paintings apart. Each painting is a study in the balance between texture, height and shape. The placement of objects in his paintings must all make sense and represent a scene found in real life; in a kitchen, a wine cellar, or in the vineyard.